Although the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One came out in 2013, many video gamers held out on upgrading their PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 units. Until now, that hasn't caused any problems because most game development companies catered to the older consoles as well as new machines.
Now, however, the times, they are a'changing, especially if you look at this week's latest complaints from gamers. The biggest complaint is that the recent release of Batman: Arkham Knight is not compatible with the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. That's right, if you want to step into Batman's shoes in the new game, you need a next-generation console (or a PC).
Other developers have followed suit, embracing the next-generation consoles over developing for all consoles. Almost all of the new and upcoming titles mentioned for consoles at this year's E3 video game trade show will only support the newer systems.
Even Microsoft wants to entice existing Xbox 360 users to upgrade to their new system and announced that the Xbox One will have backwards compatibility so that gamers can still play their 360 titles on the new console, basically announcing that the old console has become obsolete.
That's right — soon, those with a PlayStation 3 or Xbox One who want to play new games, will need to upgrade to the newer systems. It has been two years since the new systems came out, and isn't it time?
Of course, upgrading isn't without its aches and pains: those next-generation systems are hard on the wallet. Prices range from around $350 to $450 for each, and that doesn't include the $60 price for each game (although occasionally, you can catch a console bundle that includes at least one game). That's a lot of money.
However, GameStop hopes to convince gamers to upgrade to new consoles with a new promotion: customers who trade in their old PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 units receive $150 of in-store credit that they can use to purchase a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. Additionally, if you use that $150 on a PlayStation 4, you also get a free copy of Batman: Arkham Knight. If you buy an Xbox One with the credit, you get any Xbox One game of your choice. All in all, it's not a bad deal.
Of course, there's a catch. GameStop will only accept PS3 units with drives of 120 GB or larger and Xbox 360 units with drives carrying 250 GB or more. Also, you must act fast because the offer expires next week on June 28.
In other words, GameStop thinks that it's time you ditch the old console and get a new one. Of course, game developers agree: the hot new games are next-generation only. Which, technically, now makes next-generation actually the now-generation of console gaming.
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Photo: Matteo Paciotti | Flickr
